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Chapter 93: Two Teams

Ai Xiaoxiao bypassed the dark alley and headed towards the Xia residence.

As the leader of the Old Fourth and the captain of the Fourth Squadron, she ingrained caution into her very bones. After infiltrating Y City, she didn’t head straight for her target. Instead, she spent some time wandering through various underground markets. In her own words, she called it “washing off the shadows”.

The city recently held new election activities, and remnants of the gatherings and celebrations of the people were still evident everywhere. Confetti was crushed into the dirt, and partially eaten food was thrown into trash bins. In order to accommodate the urgent influx of residents from the surrounding areas, almost all hotels and basements were filled with people. Despite this, the central square of the city was still crowded with tents, and children ran around screaming.

The atmosphere was still lively. People had lived in a peaceful environment for too long and hadn’t yet realized what was about to happen.

A few children playfully ran around, grabbing paper windmills distributed by Yi Ning’s faction. One of them accidentally bumped into Ai Xiaoxiao, leaving muddy handprints on her black windbreaker. Ai Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes to the dirty handprint on her clothes and glanced at the little girl who was frightened by her gaze. The little girl had been holding half a piece of brown sugar cake, which had now fallen to the ground and collected a ring of dust.

Ai Xiaoxiao immediately picked it up. She carefully peeled off the thin skin of the cake, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and handed it back to its owner.

“I don’t want it! It’s dirty.” The little girl pouted, completely forgetting that she had bumped into someone first.

“Don’t waste food. It didn’t stay on the ground for long, and I cleaned the dirty part.” Ai Xiaoxiao squatted down; her voice as cold as ever.

“But it’s covered in dirt!” the little girl retorted.

“Dirty?” Ai Xiaoxiao opened her palm, revealing the peeled skin of the sugar cake. She squeezed them together into a ball, making it look unappetizing.

The little girl’s eyes darted around, then she made a fake gagging sound. “It’s too dirty! I won’t eat it unless you eat it and show me—”

Ai Xiaoxiao decisively put the cake skin into her mouth and swallowed it. “Only bad kids break their promises. Now it’s your turn.”

The girl and her friends stared in astonishment. After half a minute, the girl finally put the handkerchief-wrapped sugar cake into her pocket and looked at Ai Xiaoxiao with a hint of fear in her eyes.

“That’s right. Wasting is not good.” Ai Xiaoxiao stood upright and continued walking forward.

She knew the city’s fate in the coming days. When the war officially broke out, panic over hoarding supplies would inevitably arise. By that time, she feared that every trash bin would be scavenged clean.

As for whether famine would follow, it would depend on whether Shu Jun would betray Zhu Yanchen. To be honest, Ai Xiaoxiao didn’t have much trust in Shu Jun.

It wasn’t that she doubted Shu Jun’s character, but Ai Xiaoxiao was more aware than anyone else of what humans had done to synthetic humans. If her own loved ones and friends had suffered such treatment, Ai Xiaoxiao believed she would do anything. Zhu Yanchen was currently a “safety net” for Shu Jun, but she understood the level of self-sacrifice that came with that importance more than anyone else.

Now, Shu Jun was like a bomb capable of destroying the world, with a colorful balloon named Zhu Yanchen tied to it. Captain Shu floated in the sky, and who knew when he would come crashing down and explode.

Ai Xiaoxiao looked at the gloomy sky for a while, imagining for a few seconds what it would look like when the bomb named Shu Jun exploded. She walked past the crowded tent area and avoided the area where spit was flying. In the twisted alleyways, a few people sat on the ground, playing chess on plastic sheeting.

…Perhaps all these places would be filled with corpses in the future.

She quickened her pace.

Ai Xiaoxiao’s destination was the backdoor of the Xia family—the back door led to a hidden small courtyard, perfect for conducting business. She knocked on the door three times with just the right amount of force, and a response came from inside. “Dr. Ai.”

“Forty kilograms of refined clear moss. On the market, there’s only air-dried moss, and the Xia family can only obtain partially processed ones. I don’t have the time to handle raw materials slowly.” Ai Xiaoxiao was quite direct.

“Have some tea. No need to rush.” The person she was speaking to—a middle-aged man from the Xia family—extended his arm and made a “please” gesture towards a stone table in the backyard.

Ai Xiaoxiao sat on the stone stool, but she didn’t even touch the cup of tea. “You set the price. Just don’t go overboard.”

“Forty kilograms is not a small amount. I won’t hide it from you. The refined clear moss we have in our hands is also purified by our own people. And recently, there have been rumors from above. This lockdown is going to last quite a while, right? Many factories outside have gradually shut down, and these—”

“Clear moss can’t be used as emergency medicine. Don’t think I don’t know what you guys are doing with this stuff.” Ai Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. “It’s just a byproduct of lichen acid that you use to dilute in alcohol and drink.”

“After diluting it, it’s considered a high-end health product. It always has some effect, right, Dr. Ai? This idea came from you.”

“Do you really think people will consume this stuff after the lockdown?”

“What if they do?”

“The Tang family doesn’t hoard useless things like this. Unless, of course, you think you have more business acumen than the Tang family.” Ai Xiaoxiao’s voice turned cold. “Listen, if you miss this opportunity, this shop won’t be available anymore. As long as Zhu Sheng remains in power, he won’t be foolish enough to allow you to profit from the lockdown.”

The middle-aged man’s expression turned unpleasant. “Dr. Ai, there’s no need for strong-arm tactics in business, right? I heard that you’ve been away from the city for a while, and now you’re buying these things. You don’t intend to sell them in another city, do you?”

“Uncle Liu.” A sweet call suddenly interrupted the conversation, and Ai Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow.

The Xia family really didn’t know how to choose a place without any disturbance, unlike the Tang family.

Xia Liang, dressed in a casual plain dress, walked into the backyard with a smiling face. “Auntie Liu has been looking for you everywhere, and here you are, Uncle.”

With that, she glanced at Ai Xiaoxiao, and a hint of displeasure appeared in her innocent expression. “Who is she, Uncle? You wouldn’t…”

“She’s a business client, a business client,” the middle-aged man quickly explained to Xia Liang with an apologetic smile. “Xiao Liang, I’ll be there in a moment. Dr. Ai…. Xiao Ai, let’s go over there and talk.”

“Can’t I listen?” Xia Liang clearly had no intention of letting them off the hook, asking innocently. Ai Xiaoxiao felt a bit sour in her stomach.

“It’s boring,” the middle-aged man said helplessly.

“It’s okay, at least I can help prove, Uncle, that this beautiful sister is really a client. Our Xia family doesn’t engage in illegal business. It’s not like I need to avoid suspicion, right?” Xia Liang smiled sweetly.

Ai Xiaoxiao was well aware of the details of her business partner—this person was called Xia Liu in the industry. He owned several nightclubs in the city and made money by leveraging the Xia family’s advantages in the entertainment industry. But this person was short-sighted and easily influenced, and he didn’t make much money. Although Xia Liang was a younger generation, her identity as a popular singer forced Xia Liu to indulge her.

“Clear moss.” Ai Xiaoxiao couldn’t be bothered to dwell on the troublesome matters of the Xia family. She tapped the stone table. “Sell it or not, give me a definite answer. It’s not the first time I’m buying from you, so don’t drag it out.”

“But before, when you were doing research, you only bought one or two catties. Who would have expected you to buy so much this time…”

“So you’re a researcher. Quite impressive,” Xia Liang approached with a smile, seizing the opportunity to interrupt Xia Liu’s complaint. “Uncle, she’s buying the materials for research, isn’t that great?”

“Xiao Liang, you don’t understand.”

“I know about clear moss. It’s used for blending alcohol.” Xia Liang’s smile didn’t waver. “But it’s just something for blending alcohol. What’s there to hesitate about? The city won’t be sealed for long anyway. You sell these to this sister, take the money, and stock up on things that everyone can use. Isn’t that more satisfying than selling them after the lockdown is lifted?”

With that, she intentionally got closer, lowering her voice. “Grandfather has been craving beef lately. Why not stock up on more meat and show filial respect to him during the lockdown? If he enjoys his meals, maybe he’ll be willing to invest more money once the lockdown is over.”

“Well… yes, Xiao Liang is indeed clever.” Xia Liu was bewildered by her words and turned dazedly to Ai Xiaoxiao. “The situation is special now, so I’ll have to raise the price a bit. Is that okay on your end?”

“No problem,” Ai Xiaoxiao said in a deep voice. “I’ve been scouting the market these days, and if you want high-quality beef, I can make the arrangements for you.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you.” Xia Liu’s face lit up with joy. “That’s settled then.”

This person really had no brains. Stocking up on nutritional supplements and grains would be better than beef. When the city faced a crisis, they could distribute them to win people’s hearts. However… Ai Xiaoxiao couldn’t understand why the empty-headed canary would help speak up for her.

With that thought, Ai Xiaoxiao lifted her head and met Xia Liang’s gaze. Xia Liang smiled meaningfully at her and blew a kiss. “Sister Ai, please help me with that. I really want to eat tender and juicy beef.”

…Perhaps it was just a simple act of whimsy. Ai Xiaoxiao nodded indifferently.

The contract and deposit were quickly settled. Ai Xiaoxiao closed her briefcase and headed to the next battlefield—she had to meet the unlucky Dong Lao.

Although Zhu Yanchen had faked his death, he didn’t reclaim overall command of the Old Fourth. As the leader of the Old Fourth, she still had to report.

Bureaucracy could exhaust an individual. But seeing as she had successfully obtained the raw materials, she could barely control her temper.

Outside Y City.

“Consider this attack as a major mission.” Shu Jun displayed the aura of a team leader. “There’s only one thing you need to do—destroy the protective wall of Y City.”

“The inner wall in the city center?” Chai Xuyang murmured.

“A large number of purifiers are installed near the protective wall, making it difficult to use abilities in that area. Long-range attackers are responsible for throwing attacks at the wall. From now on, you will be the ‘siege team’ led by Hu Yan. The bombs should be ready by now, right?” Shu Jun ignored Chai Xuyang.

“They still have a lot of people,” Chai Xuyang continued to mutter.

“I will hold the front of the city, and you should focus on the weak defense on the west side of the city. We don’t have to destroy the wall in a single day. As the ‘interception team’, you will be led by Chai Xuyang. While the long-range attackers destroy the wall, you will go and sabotage the factories around the city.”

“…Are you really going to push humanity to the brink?” Chai Xuyang couldn’t keep his mouth shut. As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Yan couldn’t bear it anymore and smacked him on the back of his head.

“Do you have a problem with our captain? Or do you want to speak to your captain?”

Chai Xuyang’s face instantly turned pale, and he remained silent.

“Hu Yan!” Shu Jun raised his voice, his tone carrying a warning.

“…I’m sorry.” Hu Yan instantly realized his slip of the tongue.

The fact that Luo Duan had joined Sigma was not known to ordinary members of Groundwater. They only assumed that their team leader had other duties, which was why he handed over the command to Shu Jun. However, as their leader, Shu Jun didn’t hide the true situation from the higher-ups from Groundwater.

Chai Xuyang understood, whether it was the murderer who killed his comrade-in-arms during the Reunion Festival or the outcome after the departure of the twenty-one individuals. Exposed by Hu Yan, he lowered his head gloomily and remained silent.

“Do your best to destroy all the factories around Y City. Not even a single mechanical ant should be spared. You must completely cut off the supply to Y City, understand?” Shu Jun glanced at Hu Yan and continued.

Yu Jin sat in the corner, listening to this group of aliens discuss how to destroy the center of human civilization with a particularly complex expression.

“As for the team with less strength, you’re primarily responsible for reconnaissance and communication. Stay in various settlements and be on standby. You need to recognize the signals sent by your comrades and lead the people in the settlements to safety in a timely manner.”

Shu Jun pointed to the floating map of Y City in the air. “You must consciously guide them to the east side of the city. Within a week, except for the settlements with underground strongholds, I want all the residents of the settlements to gather in the east side.”

“Understood!”

“When the attack team launches the assault, make sure to create defensive fortifications based on the following guidelines… I’ll show you the blueprint first, and Hu Yan will explain it in detail later.”

Shu Jun adjusted his military cap and pressed a spot on the map with his claw. He was wearing the same marshal uniform as Zhu Yanchen, except that he had modified it to be pure black. Since he could simulate clothes with erosion, things had become much more convenient in his life.

However, even though their clothes looked identical, Shu Jun couldn’t emanate the peculiar aura of awe and chill that Zhu Yanchen had. Shu Jun wasn’t particularly concerned about having a leader’s temperament either. He simply rolled up his sleeves and loosened his collar, opting for comfort.

“Any other questions?” Shu Jun went through the attack details once again and poured himself half a glass of water.

“I don’t understand,” Chai Xuyang murmured. “Are you really planning to destroy Y City, or…?”

“Of course I am.” Shu Jun smiled. “A hesitant war won’t bring out Sigma.”

“But what about those humans? Will you kill them all?”

“I have my ways.”